There are three main requirements for retirement due to age: reaching the relevant age, completing the required number of premium contribution days, and having sufficient insured service periods. However, workers who have reached the age limit but have not completed the required premium days may still retire based on age. For those who started work after May 1, 2008, a phased increase in retirement age applies. The conditions for age-based retirement for persons who began working on or after that date rise gradually and are scheduled to be completed by 2035.
What Is Age-Based Retirement?
Age-based retirement is a right granted to insured workers who have reached a certain age but have not yet completed the normal required premium days. To qualify, certain conditions must be met. Insured individuals who meet these conditions can retire by age even if they have not fully completed the required contribution days. Conditions for age-based retirement vary according to the date insurance began and the social security scheme to which the person belongs.
Conditions for Age-Based Retirement
The age requirements for retirement depend on the date the person was first insured—that is, the date they first entered employment. The insurance start date is the determining factor for those who seek age-based retirement.
Accordingly:
- SSK employees whose first insurance entry was before September 8, 1999: women who complete 3,600 premium days retire at age 58; men retire at age 60.
- SSK employees who began after September 8, 1999 but before April 30: women who complete 25 years of insurance and 4,500 premium days retire at age 58; men retire at age 60.
- For insured men who started on or after May 1, 2008, the required paid premium days for age-based retirement were increased from 4,500 to 5,400 days.
Phased Increase Rules for SSK Retirement Age
The phased increases in retirement age apply to workers whose insurance began on or after May 1, 2008. From that date forward, the retirement age gradually rises, reaching conditions that generally require women to be 61 and men 63 under the completed schedule.
According to the schedule that must be completed by 2035, the retirement ages are:
- Until December 31, 2035: workers who complete 5,400 premium days—women retire at 61, men at 63.
- Between January 1, 2036 and December 31, 2037: with 5,400 days, women retire at 62, men at 64.
- Between January 1, 2038 and December 31, 2039: with 5,400 days, women retire at 63, men at 65.
- From January 1, 2042 onward: with 5,400 days, both women and men retire at age 65.
Bağ-Kur Age-Based Retirement Requirements
Age-based retirement conditions for BAĞ-KUR insured persons are as follows:
- BAĞ-KUR entrants before September 8, 1999: women must complete 5,400 premium days and reach age 56; men must complete 5,400 days and reach age 58.
- BAĞ-KUR entrants after September 8, 1999 but before April 30: women must complete 5,400 days and reach age 60; men must complete 5,400 days and reach age 62.
- For BAĞ-KUR entrants on or after May 1, 2008, a phased age application applies to both women and men.
The phased BAĞ-KUR age rules are:
- Until December 31, 2035: BAĞ-KUR members who complete 5,400 days—women retire at 61, men at 63.
- Between January 1, 2038 and December 31, 2039: with 5,400 days, women retire at 63, men at 65.
- From January 1, 2042 onward: with 5,400 days, both women and men retire at age 65.
The same age-limit rules also apply to civil servant pension fund (emekli sandığı) employees under equivalent conditions.
SSK Retirement with 3,600 Days
To retire by age with 3,600 paid premium days, the most important condition is that the first insurance entry was made before September 8, 1999. SSK-insured workers who began employment before that date can take advantage of retirement with 3,600 premium days.
SSK 3,600-Day Retirement Age Table
For men and women eligible for retirement on the basis of 3,600 days, the age requirements in the SSK retirement age schedule are as follows:
- For those with insurance from May 2002 or earlier who meet 15 years of insurance and 3,600 premium days: women qualify at age 50, men at age 55.
- For insurance between May 2002 and May 23, 2005 with 15 years and 3,600 days: women qualify at age 52, men at age 56.
- For insurance between May 2005 and May 23, 2008 with 15 years and 3,600 days: women qualify at age 54, men at age 57.
- For insurance between May 2008 and May 23, 2011 with 15 years and 3,600 days: women qualify at age 56, men at age 58.
- For insurance from May 2011 onward with 15 years and 3,600 days: women qualify at age 58.
- For men with 15 years and 3,600 days from May 2014 onward: men qualify at age 60.
Retirement Pension Calculation
Pension calculations historically used different indicators and multipliers up to the year 2000 for SSK, BAĞ-KUR and civil servant pensions. After 1999, SSK and BAĞ-KUR moved to a new system, while the civil servant pension continued under its existing system. SSK pension calculations are carried out in three different periods:
These SSK calculation periods are:
- Those whose insurance began before 2000
- Those whose insurance began between 2000 and October 2008
- Those whose insurance began after October 2008
After calculating the pension portions for these three periods, partial pensions are combined to determine the current pension amount. BAĞ-KUR pension calculations are generally similar to SSK calculations.
Women’s Retirement Conditions with 3,600 Days
| Date Range | Insurance Period (Years) | Age | Days |
| On or before 23.05.2002 | 15 | 50 | 3600 |
| 24.05.2002 – 23.05.2005 | 15 | 52 | 3600 |
| 24.05.2005 – 23.05.2008 | 15 | 54 | 3600 |
| 24.05.2008 – 23.05.2011 | 15 | 56 | 3600 |
| From 24.05.2011 onward | 15 | 58 | 3600 |
Men’s Retirement Conditions with 3,600 Days
| Date Range | Insurance Period (Years) | Age | Days |
| On or before 23.05.2002 | 15 | 55 | 3600 |
| 24.05.2002 – 23.05.2005 | 15 | 56 | 3600 |
| 24.05.2005 – 23.05.2008 | 15 | 57 | 3600 |
| 24.05.2008 – 23.05.2011 | 15 | 58 | 3600 |
| 24.05.2011 – 23.05.2014 | 15 | 59 | 3600 |
| From 24.05.2014 onward | 15 | 60 | 3600 |
Bağ-Kur Men’s Conditions with 3,600/5,400 Days
| For those who, as of 01.10.1999, had contributed toward 15 years/5,400 days | Insurance Period | Retirement Age |
| 2 years or less remaining | 15 years (5400 days) | 55 |
| More than 2 years – less than 4 years remaining | 15 years (5400 days) | 56 |
| More than 4 years – less than 6 years remaining | 15 years (5400 days) | 56 |
| More than 6 years – less than 8 years remaining | 15 years (5400 days) | 57 |
| More than 8 years – less than 10 years remaining | 15 years (5400 days) | 57 |
| More than 10 years remaining | 15 years (5400 days) | 58 |
Bağ-Kur Women’s Conditions with 3,600/5,400 Days
| For those who, as of 01.10.1999, had contributed toward 15 years/5,400 days | Insurance Period | Retirement Age |
| 2 years or less remaining | 15 years (5400 days) | 50 |
| More than 2 years – less than 4 years remaining | 15 years (5400 days) | 51 |
| More than 4 years – less than 6 years remaining | 15 years (5400 days) | 52 |
| More than 6 years – less than 8 years remaining | 15 years (5400 days) | 53 |
| More than 8 years – less than 10 years remaining | 15 years (5400 days) | 54 |
| More than 10 years remaining | 15 years (5400 days) | 56 |
Age-Based Retirement Conditions as of May 1, 2008
| Date When Premium Condition Is Met | Women | Men | Days |
| 01.05.2008 – 31.12.2035 | 61 | 63 | 5400 |
| 01.01.2036 – 31.12.2037 | 62 | 64 | 5400 |
| 01.01.2038 – 31.12.2039 | 63 | 65 | 5400 |
| 01.01.2040 – 31.12.2041 | 64 | 65 | 5400 |
| From 01.01.2041 onward | 65 | 65 | 5400 |
Severance Pay for Age-Based Retirement
Individuals whose insurance entry was made on or before September 8, 1999 may be eligible for severance pay calculated on the basis of 3,600 days.
Points to note:
- Before leaving employment, obtain a written statement from the Social Security Provincial Directorate stating that you can receive severance pay.
- Complete the resignation letter below and send it to your employer by notary with notification.
- Those who wish to leave work and receive severance pay do not need to observe a notice period; they can leave on the day they submit the notarized letter.
Date:____/___/_____
To ______________________________,
____________________
I hereby terminate my employment effective …./…./….. because I have completed the insurance period and premium payment days required for an old-age pension under the relevant provisions of the Labor Law and Social Security legislation.
I request payment of all my legal rights.
Respectfully,
Attachment: SGK Severance Pay Statement
EMPLOYEE
SSK No
Name and Surname
What Is Retirement Due to Lack of Position?
Retirement due to lack of position is a special retirement arrangement applied to Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and police personnel. In these services, if an officer does not receive a promotion within prescribed waiting periods, their post may be abolished and their service relationship terminated. For TSK personnel, the rules for position-based retirement are set out under the relevant law. If an officer is not promoted after the waiting period, retirement is implemented.
Accordingly, officers who must retire at the end of a waiting or service period, or who choose to retire, receive position-based severance payments at specified rates. For example, percentages differ by rank—captains, majors, colonels, and various general/admiral ranks receive compensation calculated as a percentage of a reference amount depending on rank—and retirement procedures are completed with those compensations.
Position-Based Retirement for Police Officers
The same principles apply to police organization members. Under the Police Organization Law, police chiefs who fail to advance to the next rank within five years, and certain classed police directors who do not advance within specified periods, may qualify for position-based retirement. Compensation rates vary by rank and are paid provided their rank and position are not below the statutory age limit.
In addition, position-based retirement requires that the person has at least 9,000 premium days paid and that the 9,000-day service period is completed. Since position-based retirement is not voluntary, it takes effect only when promotion does not occur; if the person does not wish to retire, the retirement cannot generally be canceled and becomes mandatory.